The Chronicles of Narnia: The Silver Chair is now in the works

Fans of THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA may or may not rejoice to this news, as The C.S. Lewis Company is joining forces with The Mark Gordon Company to jointly develop the fourth entry in the franchise, based on The Silver Chair, which is also the fourth book in the series of author C.S. Lewis' fantasy series. The announcement was made by The C.S. Lewis Company today, complete with quotes from the key players. Producer Mark Gordon (SPEED, SAVING PRIVATE RYAN) had this to say:

"Like many readers, both young and old, I am a huge fan of C.S. Lewis's beautiful and allegorical world of Narnia. These fantasy stories inspire real-world passion among millions of devoted fans around the world. As we prepare to bring the next book to life, we are humbled and excited to contribute to the outstanding legacy of Narnia."

Douglas Gresham, stepson of C.S. Lewis stated:

"I have a great deal of respect for Mark Gordon's work and am confident that together we can bring the beauty and magical delight that Narnia engenders in the hearts of those who read the books to the screen in 'The Silver Chair.' I am very much looking forward to diving once more into Narnia, this time with Mark Gordon and his team."

The first three Narnia films made more than $1.6 billion at the worldwide box office, although the last film, THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: VOYAGE OF THE DAWN TREADER wasn't as big of a hit as producers had hoped, especially given its massive budget. No word on how that will be tackled for the fourth outing, but I'm sure they're considering all angles. No word on release dates or talent as this one is just kicking the tires. More as it develops.

I'm sure those who could care less will continue to do so, but for fans of the books, is this good news?